Thursday, October 13, 2011

Attendance and Lunch Card Charts - classroom management series

This post is part of my Classroom Management Series. Click here to read other posts from the series.

I couldn't pass up these two standing pocket charts when I laid my eyes on them at the sacred ground known as the Target Dollar Spot last summer. I had no idea what I would do with them at the time, but they jumped into my big red cart.

They sat in my classroom closet as we kicked off the 2010-2011 school year, but then sometime around December they made their appearance. At my school we need to take attendance and lunch count.

This handy-dandy chart does both. I have a number for each of my students which is put into numerical order for easy finding in one chart. The other chart houses the menu choices du jour.

As part of our morning routine, the students move their number from one chart and place it next to their lunch choice on the other chart.

I simply went through the school menu and typed up a lunch card for the menu items that are served. I keep all of them in the back of the chart along with the

menu. My helper of the day sets the cards up for the next day once the count is recorded.

You could certainly use a regular pocket chart.

Or an interactive board if you are fancier than me.

But, if you have some Target pocket charts kicking around because you couldn't pass them by either, this might be perfect for you too.

I don't have a lot of wall space, so I try to use the attendance/lunch count chart for other purposes, too. Each child has a pocket with his/her name on it. They put a card in it to indicate their lunch choice. (no card = child is absent) I place a shopping card in several pockets each morning, then those students know that it is their day to 'shop for books,' A small picture is attached to each pocket indicating the child's reading space for the day (attached with sticky tac, I rotate them each day), I have also indicated student jobs here.